Record numbers participate in Erie Undergraduate Research Conference

Record numbers participate in Erie Undergraduate Research Conference

With a new home to support a record number of participants, the 16th annual Undergraduate Student Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference was held Saturday, April 28, at Penn State Erie. The conference, which was located in Nick Building and Roche Hall in the School of Science complex, was sponsored by Penn State Erie and the northwest Pennsylvania chapter of Sigma Xi, an international, multidisciplinary research society. Blake Autin, right, a physics student at Penn State Erie, explains his research on the orbital stability of the Galilean satellite system around Jupiter, to Jennifer Holt, assistant professor of chemistry.

Business economics student Alexander Kazmierczak studied metropolitan areas across the country to determine why some products, for example a gallon of milk, vary more in price from one place to another. Jim Kurre, associate professor of economics and director of the Economic Research Institute of Erie, served as his research mentor.

Joshua Shaw, assistant professor of philosophy at Penn State Erie, speaks with, from left, Mandy Canzano, Erica Zinsser and Jessie Westrick. The three psychology students studied the effects of service learning on awareness development with the assistance of Jennifer Trich Kremer, lecturer in psychology, and Dawn Blasko, associate professor of psychology.

Zack Marrapese discusses his group's research results with Joe Previte, associate professor of mathematics. Along with group members Dewey Black and Greg Lutz, the three computer science students developed a system that could make a robotic vacuum cleaner quicker and more efficient by relying on fewer sensors to determine its environment.

Andrew Walker explains his team's research on relational aggression and sarcasm to Randy Buesink. Walker partnered with fellow psychology student Zack Goncz. The annual undergraduate research conference is open to the public.

Student presentations addressed a number of relevant topics such the electronic voting machines that are part of a federal mandate for the 2008 presidential election. Paul Casillo and Michael Snyder developed a new interface with easy-to-follow instructions that could be used for electronic voting machines. Casillo, right, explains that very research to Frederic Benner.

W. Clay Campbell explains his group's research on the nuclear ndp1 gene found in plants to Margaret Voss, assistant professor of biology. Campbell and fellow students Joshua Meyer and Frank Pagel are studying biology. The half-day event incorporated 54 oral presentations and 65 poster exhibitions in a range of research categories, including engineering, marketing, mathematics and psychology.

David Irvin, a mechanical engineering student, presents his research on the effects that cryogenic treatments have on tool acceleration, particularly its surface finish and wear. John Roth, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, served as Irvin's research mentor. Roth was presented with the 2007 Sigma Xi Faculty Mentorship of Student Research award at the conference's luncheon.

From left, Darren Williams, associate professor of physics and astronomy, questions the results of physics student Charles Moore. Moore used a software package to develop animation files that allowed him to study complex planetary dynamics and orbital mechanics. The 2007 conference featured 119 presentations, 172 undergraduates, and 10 colleges and universities in western Pennsylvania.

Elizabeth Sansone presents a portion of her group's research on relational aggression among elementary and middle school students. Sansone, Elizabeth Kiefer and Megan Hoffman, who are each studying psychology, found that it is necessary to educate students at an early age in order to best combat relational aggression, which is characterized by the gossip, teasing, slander and exclusion that adolescent girls often use to manipulate or psychologically abuse their peers.